Packing for rotatable surfaces



July 25, 195o J. E. ENGLESSON 2,516,191

PACKING FOR ROTATABLE SURFACES Filed Feb. 17, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 r s r p July 25, 1950 A v J. E. ENGLEssoN 2,516,191

A PACKING FOR ROTATABLE SURFACES Filed Feb. 17, 1945 y 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 7x-:Panier: John Eloy Eng/e .s'm

Paieneaioly 2s, 195o v y* 2,516,191@I 2,516,191 PACKING FOB. ROTATABLE SURFACES John Elov Englesson, Kristinehamn, Sweden Application February 11, 1945, serial No. 578,460

In Sweden September 15, 1943 3 claims. (ci. ass-11.13)

UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE- This invention relates to improvements in l ular importance in view of the fact Vthat synpackings of the kind which are particularly thetic rubber loses its elasticity to a certain exadapted for use in the sealing of adjustable tent after a certain length of time. In addiblades which are rotatably journalled in an oiltion, the said sealing lips will be forced into enlled space in the hubbody of water turbines, 5 gagement with the cooperating sealing surface ships propellers, pumps, or similar machinery by the pressure of the water acting on the outer operating in water, the packing serving to presealing lips and by the pressure of the oil in the vent the oil in the hub from leaking out oi the space in thehub body acting on the inner sealsaid space in thehub and to prevent the outside ing lip. The reinforcing element being comwater from penetrating into the said space in l pletely embedded within the sealing ring, the the hub. Heretofore it was necessary to make said element is fully protected from the action packings 0f this type rather complicated in order of the water', and in view of this fact itis unto make them fully efficient, and for this reason necessary tomake the said elementof an exsuch packings were comparatively expensive. pensive corrosion resistant metal or alloy. The

It is an object of the present inventionto prol invention, therefore, provides an efficient packvide a considerably simplified and yet eiilcient ing which .maybe cheaply manufactured. construction of such packings. With this pur- The accompanying drawings illustrate by way pose in view the present invention provides a of example a few constructional forms of the packing which mainly comprises sealing means present invention. Fig. 1 shows a section positioned between sealing surfaces on the hub through a portion of the hub of a ships .propeller body and von the rotatable blade which sealing and of a blade rotatably journalled therein, a surfaces are concentric to the axis of rotation packing according to the invention being proof said blade in said hub body, said sealing means vided between said hub and said blade. Fig. 2 comprising a metallic supporting ring cooperatshows to a larger: scale a section of the sealing ing with one of said sealing surfaces, and a sealring and adjacent parts of the hub and blade, ing ring of flexible material, such as synthetic while Fig. 3 shows a section of the sealing ring rubber or the like, the body portion of which is with its associate supporting ring before the said united with, for instance vulcanized to, the said rings are placed in the hub. Fig. 4 shows a fracsupporting ring. The sealing ring is provided tional plan view, partly in section, of the sealing with at least two annular sea' g lips which 30 ring shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 5 shows a section diverge from the body portion of the sealing ring similar to Fig. 3 of a modified construction of the towards the second sealing surface, the outer sealing ringpand Fig. 6 shows a fractional plan edge portions of said sealing lips remote from view, partly in section, of the sealing. ring illussaid body portion contacting with the said second trated in Fig. 5. Fig. 7 shows a section similar sealing surface to provideafluid-tight seal thereto Fig. 3 of a third vconstructional form of a with. A resilient reinforcing velement is em-` sealing ring, and Fig. 8 lshows in a similar manbedded Within Said Sealing ring and the sealing ner a section of a further development of the lips thereof and serves to exibly resist deection sealing ring shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Fig. 9 shows of said sealing lips in a direction away from the a section similar to Fig. 1 through a portion of second sealing surface with which they coopthe hub of a ships proponer wherein a, packing erate. Preferably, the Said reinforcing element according to a further constructional form of has a cross-sectional configuration conforming the present invention is used between said hub substantially to that of the sealing lips. and a blade rotatably journalled therein, and

When the sealing means is placed in position Fig. 10 shows to a larger scale a section through between the sealing surfaces on the hub body the sealing ring and adjacent parts of the hub and rotatable blade, the sealing lips on the sealand blade illustrated in Fig. 9. ing ring as wellas the resilient reinforcing ele- Referring to the constructional form illustrated ment embedded therein will be somewhat dein 'gs. 1 to 4 inclusive, the reference numeral I iected in a direction towards the body portion denotes the hub body of an adjustable ship's of the sealing ring. It will be understood, there- 5o propeller,v said hub body being provided with a fore, that the Sealing lips will be maintained in recess 2 for each adjustable propeller blade roengaeement with the cooperating sealing. surtatabiy journaned therein. Provided 1n saidreface not only due to the elasticity of the material cess 2, which is lled with oil, is a pivot or trunof said sealing lips but also due to the resiliency nion 3 which s'erves asa turning pivot for the of the reinforcing element, which is of particpropeller blade 4 which is provided with a ange 5. Placed in the recess 2 around the pivot 3 is a ring 6 to which the flange 5 of the propeller blade is secured by means of a number of heavy screw bolts 1. The said ring B is provided in a Well-known manner with a crank pin, not shown in the drawing, for turning the ring 6 and thus the propeller blade 4 about the pivot 3. The ring 6 is retained in position by means of a clamping or retaining ring 8 which is secured to the hub body I, as by means of a number of screw bolts 9. Upon adjustment of the 'blade 5 the members 4, 5 and 6 thus turn as a unit about the pivot 3 while the ring 8 remains stationary.

A supporting ring IIl of iron or other metal is attached by means of screws II, Fig. 2, to the sealing surface I2 on the retaining ring 8 in the hub. United to the supporting ring I0, as by being vulcanized thereto, is the body portion of a sealing ring I3which is made of synthetic rubber or the like. On the side opposite to the supporting ring II) the sealing ring is provided with two annular sealing lips I4 and l5 which engage the sealing surface I6 on the ange 5 of the propeller blade 4. The sealing lip I4 is directed outwards from the axis of rotation of the propeller blade, and the sealing lip I5 is directed inwards towards the said axis of rotation. Both lips are slightly inclined to the plane perpendicular to the axis of rotation, so that the cross section of the said two lips has approximately the shape of a considerably flattened letter V with a large obtuse angle between its legs, as shown in Fig. 3.

Embedded within the rubber material of the sealing ring and the sealing lips thereof is an annular resilient reinforcing element which serves to support the said sealing lips I4 and I5 and increase the resiliency of the same. In the constructional form shown in Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, the said reinforcing element consists of a ring I1 made of thin spring metal and which normally, that is, when notsubjected to pressure, has the cross-sectional shape shown in Fig. 3, that is to say the shape of a flattened letter V the legs of which form an obtuse angle, said legs representing the edges of the ring I1. In order to increase the resiliency of the said edges of the ring II the outer and the inner edges of the ring may be divided by radial slots or the like into a plurality of resilient tabs or tongues 23, as shown in Fig. 4. The ring may be made in the form of a whole undivided ring, or it may be divided into several sections which together form a ring within the sealing ring.

When the supportingring I with the sealing ring I3 united thereto is placed in position andthe propeller blade is bolted to the ring 6 by means of the screw bolts 1, the sealing surface I6 on the flange of the blade 4 will press against the annular edges of the two sealing lips I4 and I5, whereby said lips and the edges of the resilient reinforcing ring I1 embedded therein will be deflected in a direction towards the supporting ring I0, as shown in Fig. 2. It will be seen that in this way the said sealing lips I4 and I5 are held in snug contact with the sealing surface I6 on the fiange 5, due not only to their own resiliency but also due to the spring action of the flexed edges of the ring I1. Furthermore, the outer sealing lip I4 is forced against the sealing surface I6 on the fiange 5 by the pressure of the water outside the propeller vhub which acts in the space I8 on the lower surface of said lip I4, as viewed in Fig. 2, and the inner' sealing lip I5 is similarly forced against the sealing surface IB by the pressure of the oil in the space I9 acting on the lower side of said lip I 5, said space I9 being in communication with the oil-filled space 2 in the hub, as will be easily understood. In this way the packing provides an eillcient oil-tight and water-tight seal. Since the annular reinforcing element or ring I1 is entirely embedded into and surrounded by the rubber, it may be made of ordinary spring steel.

The sealing ring I3 is further provided at its outer circumference with a flange 20 which is directed axially and which is united with the outer circumferential surface of the supporting ring I0. Before the sealing ring is inserted in position in the hub body, the said flange 20 has the shape shown in Fig. 3, that is, the cross section of the outer circumferential surface of said flange 20 has substantially the shape of a flattened letter V. Embedded within the flange 20 is a reinforcing element 2l which may be constructed in substantially the same manner as the reinforcing element I1 above described, that is to say, it may consist of a. ring of a thin resilient metal having a slightly cupped or trough-like cross section, as illustrated in Fig. 3, and similarly, in order to improve the resiliency of the edges of the said ring they may be provided with slots or the like dividing said edges into a plurality of tabs or tongues in the same manner as above described in connection with the ring l1. When the sealing ring is placed in position in the hub, the flange 20 will of course be compressed between the circumferential surface of the supporting ring Ill and an opposed concentric cylindrical sealing surface 22, Fig. 2, in the hub body. Due to such compression the projecting edges or rims of the flange 20 and the edges of the reinforcing ring 2l are deflected, as illustrated in Fig. 2. It will he seen that in this way the flange 20 is maintained in good sealing contact with the opposed surface 22, and that the reinforcing ring 2l aids in maintaining such contact even if the synthetic rubber gradually loses its elasticity, so that the flange 2B effectively prevents the water outside the hub from gaining access to the supporting ring I0. It is not necessary, therefore, to make the said ring I0 of a high grade and expensive corrosion-resistant metal or alloy.

Figs. 5 and 6 illustrate a modified constructional form of the reinforcing element or ring which is embedded in the sealing ring I3 and in the sealing lips I4 and I5 thereof. In this case the reinforcing ring is formed of a flexible metal wire 21 bent in zigzag shape in such manner that the bends of the wire form the outer and inner edges of the ring, as illustrated in Fig. 5. Preferably, a wire 28 is soldered or welded to the turns of the said wire 21 intermediate the bends thereof. Also in this case the cross section of the ring has substantially the shape of a flattened V, as shown in Fig. 5, and it will be understood that the action of the ring will be substantially the same as that above described in connection With thelring I1 shown in Figs. 1 4.

Fig. 7 illustrates a further constructional form of the reinforcing element which is embedded in the sealing ring I3 and in the sealing lips I4 and I5 thereof. In this case the said reinforcing element consists of two rings 31 and 38 both of which are made of thin spring metal, and both of which have a cross section substantially of the shape of the letter V. These rings 31 and 38are embedded in the sealing ring I3 in such manner that the bends of the rings are directed towards one another, whereby the cross sections of the two rings form together a figure of approximately the shape of the letter X. Also in this case the upper anges or edges of the rings 31 and 38 are embedded in the lips I4 and I5, respectively, of the sealing ring I3, whereas the lower flanges or edges of the said rings are embedded in the body portion of the ring near the supporting ring I0. With this construction of the sealing ring the advantage is attained that the lower anges of the reinforcing rings 31 and 38 provide resilient supports for the upper flanges of said rings, so that the latter will securely hold the lips I4 and I5 in engagement with the opposed sealing surface even if the material in the body portion and in the said lips of the sealing ring loses its' elasticity. In other respects this construction corresponds to that illustrated in Fig. 3. The two rings 31 and 38 may be, but need not be, united to one another at the bends thereof, at 39, as by soldering or welding. As in the construction shown in Fig. 3, the edges of each ring 31 and 38 may be dividedby radial slots or the like into a plurality of resilient tabs or tongues, to increase the of the rings. I

Fig. 8 illustrates a further development of the sealing ring shown in Figs. 2 and 3, which shall the same purpose as that above described in connection with Fig. 7, namely, to ensure that the resiliency of the edges As shown in Fig. 8, consists of a ring I1 having slotted'edges, and which is embedded in the sealing ring I3 and in the sealing lips I4 and I5 thereof, as described in connection with Figs. 2 and 3, is supported by a, suitable number of helical springs 4I which are embedded in the body portion of the sealing ring I3, and which are spaced at suitable distance from one another along the periphery of the sealing ring I3. In other respects this construction is similar to that above described in connection with Figs. 2 and 3.

In the constructional form illustrated in Figs. 9 and 10, the hub I with its oil-filled recess 2 and pivot or trunnion 3, as well as the propeller blade 4 with its flange 5 and the ring 6 secured thereto by means of screw bolts 1, are similar to the corresponding members above described in conbeing screw-threaded therein. A supporting ring 50 is attached by means of screws 5I to the said retaining ring 48. A cylindrical outer surface on` said supporting ring 50 cooperates with a corresponding cylindrical sealing surface 52 in the hub body I. Also in supporting ring 50, as by being vulcanized thereto. The sealing ring is provided with two annular sealing lips 54 and 55 which engage a cylindrical or slightly tapered sealing surface 56 on the flange 5 of the propeller blade. The sealing lip 54 is directed outwards, and the sealing lip 55 is dlrected inwards towards the int In this case, therefore, the said the cross section shown in Fig. more or less in the axial direction propeller blade.

Also in this case the cross section of the two lips has approximately the shape of a flattened letter V. An annular resilient reinforcing eleerior of the hub. lips, as viewed in 10, are directed of the rotatable in Fig. 9, the reinforcing element may be arranged in a similar way to that above described in connection'with Figs. 5 and 6, or Fig. 7 or Fig. 8.

It will easily be understood that the sealing ring according to the construction shown in Figs. 9 and 10 operates in substantially the same manner as above described in connection with Figs. 1 to 4 inclusive, in that the sealing lip 54, will force said lip against said sealing surface 56, while the pressure of the oil in the space 59 which communicates with the oillled space 2 in the hub, acts in a similar manner to force the lip 55 against the said sealing surface 56.

The sealing ring 53 is provided with an outer circumferential ange 60 which cooperates with the sealing surface 52 in the hub body to provide a Huid-tight seal therewith. Embedded in said iiange 6U is a resilient reinforcing element 6I, which may be constructed similarly to the reinthe introduction of the ange 5 into the sealing ring.

the following claims.

I claim: 1. A packing adapted for vice between sealing surfaces relatively movable lips and .'to increase the l 7 inforcing element having a cross-sectional concuration conforming substantially to that of said sealing lips.

2. A packing adapted for use as a sealing device between substantially plane sealing surfaces relatively movable about an axis of rotation perpendicular to the plane of said surfaces, said packing comprising in combination a metallic supporting ring having a substantially plane surface adapted to cooperate with one of said sealing surfaces to effect a fluid-tight seal therewith, means for attaching said supporting ring to said sealing surface, a sealing ring of flexible material having a body portion united with said supporting l ring, said sealing ring having an axially directed flange extending from said body portion thereof in a direction away from the second sealing surface, said flange being united with said supporting ring and covering the outer circumferential surface thereof to provide a sal for the joint between said supporting ring and said first sealing surface, a resilient reinforcing element embedded 'within said axially directed flange on said sealing ring, said sealing ring having at least two annular sealing lips diverging from said body portion thereof towards the second sealing surface, the outer edge portions of said sealing lips remote from said body portion contacting with said second sealing surface to effect a fluid-tight seal therewith, and a resilient reinforcing element embedded within said sealing ring and said sealing lips thereof and adapted toiiexibly resistI dellection of said sealing lips in a direction away from said second sealing surface, said reinforcing element having a cross-sectional configuration conforming substantially to that of said sealing lips.

3. A packing adapted for use as a sealing device between sealing surfaces relatively movable about an axis of rotation, said .packing comprising in combination a metallic supporting ring adapted to cooperate with one of said sealing surfaces, a sealing ring of flexible material having a body portion united with said supporting ring,

said sealing ring having a flange extending from said body portion thereof in a direction away from the second sealing surface, said flange being united with said supporting ring and covering the outer surface thereof to provide a seal for the joint between said supporting ring and said first sealing surface, said sealing ring having at least two annular sealing lips diverging from said body portion thereof towards the second sealing surface, the outer edge portions of said sealing lips remote from said body portion contacting with said second sealing surface to effect a fluid-tight seal therewith, and a resilient reinforcing element embedded within said sealing ring and said sealing lips thereof and adapted to flexibly resist deflection of said sealing lips in a direction away from said second sealing surface, said reinforcing element consisting of a ring formed of a flexible metal wire bent into zigzag shape in such manner that the bends of said wire form the outer and inner edges of said ring, said ring having a cross section substantially of the shape of a flattened letter V the legs of which form an obtuse angle. JOHN ELOV ENGLESSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number 

